Tablet-separator



M. E. SELLE AND 0. A. DRISCOLL.

TABLET SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. I919.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

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TABLET SEPARAT'OR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16(1'9'19.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

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MARTIN E. SELLE AND DANIEL A. DRISC'OLL, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE- THIRD TO WILLIAM J. DBISCOLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TABLET-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4., 1919.

Application filed July 16, 1919. Serial No. 311,239.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that We, MARTIN E. SELLE and DANIEL A. DRISCOLL, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tablet-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

The apparatus which is the subject matter of the present application for patent has been designed to effect the separation of medicinal and other tablets having a coating which is apt to cause the tablets to stick together when the coating dries. To separate the adhering tablets by hand is a slow process, and the invention therefore its object to provide a novel and improved apparatus by which the separation is effected automatically and expeditiously.

Th invention also has for its object toprovide a separator which. is adjustable to take tablets of various thicknesses.

With the objects stated in view, the in vention consists in a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter ,de scribed and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus and a supporting means therefor;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus, partly in section, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the side Walls and 6 the end walls of a frame or receptacle which-is open at the top and bottom. Inside this frame, along each side wall, are located two superposed longitudinal bars 7 and 8, respectively. The bottom bars 7 are made fast to the side walls 5, and the top bars 8 are slid-ably supported on said bottom bars so that they may be re 'ciprocated in the direction of their length.

Passing through the bottom bars 7 near one end thereof and extenciing therebetween, is a rock shaft 9 which also passes through one of the side walls 5 and projects therefrom, and on said projecting end of the rock shaft is fastened an operating lever 10 movable at its free end along a guide segment 11 fastened to one of the side walls 5 on the outside thereof. A set screw 12 fastens the lever 10 at any point on the segment 11.

Inside the frame hereinbefore described, theshaft 9 carries two crank arms 13 having their outer ends forked, as shown at 14, to straddle a rod 1 1 extending between and carried by the top bars 8. It will therefore be seen that the two bars 8 may be slid together in the direction of their length when the lever 10 is swung to rock the shaft 9.

The bars 7 carry a series of cross rods 15 and the bars 8 carry aseries of cross rods 16, these rods being secured to the bars in any suitable manner and extending therebetween. The two sets of rods are arranged in pairs the members of each pair being arranged one above the other, and slightly offset laterally with respect to each other. Above each top rod 16 are located cross rods 17 which extend between the bars 8 but are not fixed thereto. Each group of cross rods 15, 16 and 17 serve to support one of series of c'o-actingseparating elements, composed of a piece of sheet metal which is bent around the rod 17 and has its two ends extending downwardly from opposite sides thereof. One end 18 extends down to the rod 15 and is attached thereto by being rolled around the same, and the other end 19 extends down to, and is secured in a similar manner to the rod 16. These separating elements extend throughout the entire distance between the bars 7 and 8, and as they are spaced apart and parallel, they define downwardly tapered spaces through which the tablets to be separated are forced. The width of these spaces can be readily reduced by sliding the bars 8 in a direction to spread the rods 15 and 16, by which action the parts 1-8 and 19 are spread. This brings the part 18 closer to the part 19 of the adjacent element as shown dotted in Fig. 3, and consequently reduces the space therebetween. The parts 18 and 19 are flexibly or pivotally connected by the rods 17 so that they may be readily spread or drawn closer together according to the spacing desired.

It will be seen that a tablet dropped between two adjacent separating elements must notbe greater in thickness than the width of the space between the parts 18 and 19 of said adjacent elements in order to drop through, and hence if two or more tablets are stuck together they will not pass until they are separated. The apparatus is designed to be agitated for the purpose of causing the adhering tablets to separate.

At one end of the apparatus. is a sheet metal deflector 20 to protect the shaft, 9.

To the side walls 5 of the frame are soldered or otherwise secured strips 21 having outstanding flanges 22 which overlap the slide bars 8 and form guides therefor, and also keep dust from falling between the same and the side walls, which would interfere with the free movement of said bars.

The apparatus is set over a large pan 23 into which the separated tablets drop. The apparatus is mounted in a supporting carriage 24 and is agitated by sliding the latter back and forth. The carriage has grooved rollers 25 which ride on the opposite side edges of the pan 23.

The apparatus is moved back and forth in the direction of the length.of the separating elements 18 and 19, which facilitates the separation of adhering tablets.

We claim:

1. A tablet separator comprising spaced and parallel cross members each of which has opposite sides which are flexibly connected for spreading or contracting said sides to vary the spacing between adjacent cross members, and an open bottomed receptacle in which the cross members are positioned.

2. A tablet separator comprising spaced and parallel cross members each of which has opposite sides which are ,fiexibly connected, supports for the respective sides of said members, means for moving the supports of one of the sides relative to the supports of the other sides for spreading or contracting said sides to vary the spacing between adjacent cross members, and an open-bottomed receptacle in which the cross members are mounted.

3. A tablet separator comprising spaced and parallel cross members each of which has opposite sides which are flexibly connected, supports for the respective sides of said members, a slidable member carrying the supports of one of the sides, means for shifting said member for moving the last mentioned supports relative to the supports of the other sides for spreading or contracting said sides to vary the spacing between adjacent cross members, and an open-bottomed receptacle in which the cross members are mounted.

4:. A tablet separator comprising a series of spaced and parallel cross members each of which has opposite sides which are flexibly connected for spreading or contracting said sides to vary the spacing between adj acent cross members, and a slidably supported open-bottomed receptaclein which the cross members are positioned.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

MARTIN E. SELLE. DANIEL A. DRISOOLL.

Gopieg of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

